Old Habits
by Crazydancer108
Summary: After Dimitri breaks her heart, Rose leaves the Academy again. She hides out in a small town in Texas. So what happens when Dimitri comes to get her? My first fanfic. T Rating in case of cursing.
1. Chapter 1

**My first fanfic! I might continue if I get enough reviews so feel free to toss out ideas or critiques!**

**Disclaimer: If you know it, I don't own it!**

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><p>My mind throbbed with pain as my superhuman hearing took in the screaming high school students sitting around me. I hated these things. They were loud and chaotic. A guardian's worst nightmare. But I wasn't a guardian so I don't why I was so concerned.<p>

My headache forgotten, I slipped into Lissa's mind without a second thought... Or at least I tried to. She was blocking me, which was an odd accurance since I left the academy two months ago. I remembered the day with bittersweetness.

It was the day that I had found out that Lissa and Christian were in love. And the day Dimitri told me that we could never be together. "It could never happen Roza. We would never work out. They would never allow it." Three simple reasons that I could have argued over until either I turned blue or he relented. But then it hit me. He didn't want this. If he did he would have fought for it, for me, for us. After that I couldn't face Liss and Christian. They were happy and I didn't to ruin that for them. So I left. This time by myself.

So here I was in Aquilla, Texas. A town so small that I was pretty positive that the Academy was bigger. But it was small and close-nit and I was positive that no one would find me here. Getting in had been easier than I thought it would have, or should have, been. I had simply told the people at registration that my mother and I had just moved to a close town and that he was busy at her new job and couldn't make it. They gave me the forms and told me to bring them back the next day. I took them to the small hotel where I was renting a room in the next town and started forging. I found myself missing everything that I had left behind but quickly shoved that thought away as the cheerleaders on the court below started calling out names for some skit meant to raise morale for the upcoming football game. I didn't get it but hey, is was Texas, and if you can't beat em' join em'.

A small blonde in a burnt orange uniform called my name and, although flabbergasted, I stepped down from the stands and walked to the center of the basketball court with the other people who had been called.

We stood there waiting for directions and praying that it wouldn't be too embarrassing. Suddenly the small gym was filled with men and (a couple of women i notices) in black and white. Guardians. At least 10 of them. Before anyone knew what had happened all the people around me were pulled away and the guardians formed a circle around me. But I hardly noticed them. I was only thinking about one person who happened to be standing right in front of me. His dark eyes watching my every move, his nearly black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and his duster flaring out behind him making him look like a cross between a cowboy and an avenging angel. Our eyes locked and a single word escaped his beautiful lips. "Roza."

Dimitri. My Dimitri.

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><p><strong>Cheesy I know! Review please!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'll make this quick! I just wanted to thank everyone for the feedback! I was definitely was expecting that much! Ok so on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: Just like all of you I only wish I owned Dimitri... I mean VA ;)**

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><p>There were a few moments of silence where you could have heard a pin drop. Then all hell broke loose. The students, frightened by the sudden appearance of so many imposing figures, began yelling and trying to get out of the gym. Once the shock wore off the teachers stepped in, half trying to calm the students, and half screaming at the Guardians. I do have to give the Guardians some credit though, they had all of the teachers calmed in a few moments. Well most of the guardians at least. Dimitri was still watching me like he expected me to disappear.<p>

"WHAT IN THE SAM HILL IS GOING ON HERE?" Everyone turned to stare at our balding principal, Mr. Keenan. "Who are you people and why are you harassing my students?" Dimitri finally broke his silence then.

"Sir I'm sorry to interrupt but I'm afraid Ms. Hathaway is going to have to come with us. We were sent by her legal guardians to retrieve her." As he spoke I was able to study him. He seemed thinner than before I left and he had dark circles under his eyes, as if he had spent a lot of time doing things other than sleeping. He looked back at me when he said my name and for a second I held his gaze before he continued speaking. His eyes seemed to hold a glimmer of... hope? It was the only word I could use to describe the emotion I saw in his gorgeous brown orbs.

"Ms. Hathaway do you know these people?" Mr. Keenan's question pulled me from my reverie.

"I... Uh..." Dimitri gave me a look that said lying would only make things that much worse. "Yes." I said with a sigh.

From that moment on everything was a blur. The guardians, Mr. Keenan, and I walked out of the gym while the teachers told the students to go back to class. Dimitri ushered me to an SUV while the other Guardians went to make sure the teachers had everything handled and to take care of things in the office. We sat in silence for a few moments.

"I need to get my things from my hotel room." He only nodded and typed something on his phone. After a few seconds there was chimed reply and he pulled out of the small parking lot. After giving him the directions I stared out the window. Not another word was said until we pulled up at the small hotel.

"Roza I-"

"Don't" I cut him off. "Don't call me that. You don't get to call me that. Not anymore." I jumped out of the car and ran to my room. I gathered my stuff, crying my eyes out all the while. When I got back in the car I knew my eyes were red and puffy and if Dimtri noticed he didnt let on. We got back to the school and picked up the other Guardians who would be riding with us. They had taken two SUVs so it wasn't too cramped.

The cabin was completely silent for about two hours at which point in time my curiosity got the best of me. "How did you find me?" My answer came from a female Guardian I recognized from the Academy.

"We assumed you would try to continue your education and simply waited for your name to come up on the national database."

This kept me quiet for a little while till another question came to mind. "Why so many Guardians?" The woman answered again.

"It was deemed necessary, we were assured that we wouldn't be able to bring you back without a fight. I'm glad you decided to come peacefully."

Just wait till I get my chance, I thought, but instead of warning them of my plans I simply said, "But isn't ten Guardians a little excessive for one novice damphir?" She seemed a little annoyed at my game of twenty questions but answered all the same.

"Princess Dragomir and your mother deemed it necessary and managed to, somehow, pull a few strings to get us all here." Well that figured, Lissa and my mother teaming up against the school... and winning.

About nine hours after we left Aquilla we passed the Texas state line about thirty minutes after that exhaustion took over and I fell asleep between two Guardians. When I awoke we were in front of a hotel.

"Where are we?"

The female Guardian, I think her name was Guardian Montenegro, turned to look at me from the front seat. "Oh good your awake."

"Where are we?" I repeated.

"Byers, Colorado." I looked at Dimitri as he spoke. God I loved his voice. Two meaningless words and his voice alone could make my heart race, I held on to the thought for a moment. Then mentally slapped myself for thinking it in the first place.

"Why?"

"Because, Rose, not everyone got to nap on the way here and we need to rest." I scowled at his condescending tone. Any thoughts I had about missing him left me. A Guardian who's name I didn't care to know came back and passed out room keys. After the three rooms were split up I, begrudgingly, followed Dimitri and Guardian Montenegro to the room we were to share with another Guardian. If only for the night.

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><p><strong>Still interested? I don't know how soon I'll be able to update again because I'm about to be really busy with school and stuff. So once again reviews and ideas are welcome!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okey Dokey! Here's another one for ya! Feel free to show me some love and click that review button down there! I really need some ideas because I've got maybe one or two more chapters planned out but past that I'm kinda just following the story! Alright enough begging READ ON! please :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it and it's as simple as that ;)**

When we got to the room I immediately claimed one of the two queen beds for myself. Meanwhile, the Guardians were setting up shifts for sleeping. I ignored them and formulated my escape plan. I waited for the perfect time to run. An hour later Guardian Montenegro was asleep on the other bed and the other Guardian was on the small couch looking like not even doomsday would wake him up. I silently grabbed my bag and made my way to the door. The door handle clicked when I turned it and I froze, praying to God that the small noise hadn't woken up one of the Guardians. Apparently he was listening because neither had moved. I slipped out the door and closed it as silently as possible. I turned and found my exit blocked by a rock hard chest. I trailed my eyes up till they met the deep soulful eyes that had graced all of my dreams and haunted my of my thoughts.

"Damn."

"Going somewhere Rose?" as if screwing up my escape plans wasn't enough he had the nerve to mock me by raising a single eyebrow.

"I was just going for a walk Guardian Belikov." I hoped he was get the somewhat subtle message I was sending him.

"And exactly where was this walk going to take you?"

Anywhere but here! "I wasn't expecting it to take me anywhere I was only planning on working off some excess energy, Guardian Belikov." He did that stupid eyebrow thing again.

"Do you really think that's a good idea, Roza?" That did it, I snapped. Formalities forgotten I took everything he had taught me about fighting and used in one solid punch to his beautiful face. He clearly wasn't expecting it because I did actually manage to punch him without him blocking it.

His eyed widened so much it was almost comical. Sending him a final glare I turned and walked do the hallway. Well I tried to. In what felt like less than a second he grabbed me by the wrist and had me pinned against the wall. He leaned in closely and was staring into my eyes intently. I could smell him, the scent of his aftershave combined with something musky and definable as something that was simply Dimitri. His hair tickled my chin as his warm breath spread across my face. The last time I had been this close to him he had kissed me. I wanted that so bad. Before I had the chance to do something I would regret one of the Guardians from the other car came barreling out of the room next to ours. No doubt having heard my shriek as I was pulled back.

"What's going on? What happened?" He asked, referring to the black ring appearing on Dimitri's eye. It was still a gorgeous eye.

"Nothing. Rose and I just had a misunderstanding. Isn't that right Rose?" He was doing his best to keep me out of trouble.

"Of course, Guardian Belikov." I tried to keep my expression and voice blank so as not to alarm either of the Guardians from knowing all the emotions running through me. Anger at Dimitri for hurting me, sadness at knowing that we could never be together, happiness at seeing him in front of me after two months, and so much more.

"Shouldn't novice Hathaway be in her room?" The Guardian asked. He either didn't feel the tension between Dimitri and I or he was ignoring it.

"Yes, she should." Dimitri appeared to finally notice our close proximity and took a step back. "Miss Hathaway." he said gesturing to the door I had come out of not five minutes before. Gathering what dignity I had left, I walked into the room and laid down on the bed. The Guardians were finally conscious and were about to start questioning us when Dimitri shot them a look that told them no good would come from it. I slipped into a light sleep.

In my dream I was sitting on a bench somewhere at the Academy, it couldn't pinpoint it exactly but I recognized the sprawling gothic buildings in front of me. It was spring-time and I was dressed simply in a maroon t-shirt and capris. Oddly enough I was missing shoes. It wasn't a typical dream and I knew it.

"Adrian? Look I'm really not in the mood for games right now."

"Well hello to you too, Little Damphir." The sun reflected off his sunglasses as he walked towards me.

"If I asked you to let me sleep peacefully, would you?" He just grinned and raised an eyebrow, was I the only person who couldn't do that? "Didn't think so. So what do you want?"

"I can't just want to spend time with you?" I gave him a menacing look. "Alright, alright, keep your pants on! Wait on second thought..."

"Haha. I'm serious, I've had a long day and I want to sleep so say what you've got to say and leave me be!"

"I was just curious as to how your doing." It dawned on me that he was wondering if I'd been caught and was coming back to the Academy. He was in on it!

"Look, can we have this conversation in a few hours when I get back." I couldn't help the annoyed tone that slipped into my voice.

"Of course, I'll see you in a few hours." He then had audacity to give me his most flirtatious smile before abruptly ending our meeting.

**So when I typed it up on my phone it was longer I promise! Still review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okey Dokey I FINNALY finished this one on the way to German UIL today (My friend Alisha and I got 1st place on our 2nd year Duet! So happy!) So anyways, to celebrate our success I thought I would give you guys another chapter, so here we go!**

**Disclaimer: oddly enough I still don't own it!**

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><p>After my encounter with Adrian, I slept like the dead. I swear his 'dreams' took more out if me than real life did! I was awoken by Dimitri in the meanest way possible. Here I was passed out on the bed and he decided to throw a bucket of water on me! It ripped me out of the cocoon of darkness. "WHAT THE HELL?"<p>

"Oh good your up." He stared down at me with those chocolate eyes and I couldn't help but stare blankly at him. "What?" His singled worded question brought me back to the days when he would catch me staring at him during practice.

"Nothing." I felt myself turn crimson and looked away. I noticed that we were alone. "Where are the others?"

"They went to get breakfast, we're leaving in an hour."

"Great." I made sure to put as much sarcasm as possible in that one word. He gave me a funny look.

"You don't want to go back to the Academy? I was sure you would want to see Vasilisa after being gone so long."

"I do, but I doubt she'll want to see me," I was being incredibly bitter but by then I didn't care, "I abandoned her." I said it so quietly that it was almost a whisper.

"I'm sorry Rose, I truly am." I looked at him and remembered why I loved him, and with those feelings I remembered all the pain he had caused me.

"I don't want your pity." And with that I got up and started rummaging through my bag for clean clothes and my shower supplies.

"Rose, what are you doing?"

"Well since I'm already soaked I thought I might take a shower. Is that a problem Guardian Belikov?" He flinched at my use of his formal title but said nothing. Without another word I walked into the cramped hotel bathroom and tried to get my emotions in check. How could someone who had crushed my heart still have this much affect on me? I guess I was just a sucker for punishment. I stepped into the shower and washed my hair and body quickly, then I just stood under the shower head, letting the hot water relax my tense muscles as it cascaded around me. Suddenly there was a bang on the door and I jumped, I barely managed to catch myself on the weird little handle before I slipped. I turned the water off and sighed as I stepped out of the cubicle. Drying off as fast as I could, I pulled on the jeans and t-shirt that I had grabbed and pulled my hair up into a ponytail. After grabbing my shower stuff I slung the bathroom door open.

"Why are you banging on the door?" Apparently while I was in the bathroom the Guardians had returned and were currently sitting around the room. Dimitri shrugged.

"You were taking too long."

"Well I'm sorry my need to bathe took up your precious time." my words dripped with sarcasm, just as I had meant them to.

"Actually it interrupted our plans to leave." He raised that stupid eyebrow again, punctuating his words.

"Oh." I didn't mean to reply so dumbly but my mind was whirring with thoughts of the of the place we were returning to. I threw my stuff into my backpack and stiffly followed the Guardians back to the SUVs. We set off again and I stared out the window and watched as my surroundings, and freedom, disappeared behind us.

The terrain became rockier and mountains sprouted up around us. All too soon we found ourselves at the main gate of the school. I had the oddest sense of deja vu as the Guardians at the main gate checked our car. I couldn't help but notice how whenever one of them looked at me there was a flash of pity in their eyes, which I chose to ignore. It was around five am meaning that everyone was either asleep or heading there. Well most everyone anyways. From the steady stream of the Bond I could feel that Lissa was awake and that she wasn't alone. She knew.

Dimitri and Guardian Montenegro took me to Kirova. We walked in unannounced and I had a feeling that she was expecting us. She regarded me coolly. "Rose."

"Headmistress." I wasn't planning on making small talk, we both knew why I was here. I was just hoping we wouldn't be here long and that I could go to my room and sleep soon.

"I'm sure your tired so I'll make this quick." The woman read my mind... creepy. Your past experience in Spokane has been taken into account, and while the queen is not too happy about it, we have decided to allow you to stay." I was stunned. "The loss of a very close friend would be enough to upset anyone especially someone as young as you." I sat there opening and closing my mouth and probably resembling a fish. We're they really going to let me stay? After and I left not once but twice? Not to mention I abandoned my best friend and future charge. "Since you came so far working with Guardian Belikov before you left we thought you could continue training with him. I doesn't seem that you need to have extra training anymore but he has assured me that it would be best of you did." Figures. "He will also be in charge of your schedule completely, so when he decides that you should train you will. No matter what the time." She had to be joking! "For now you should get some sleep, your new schedule starts tomorrow."

Emotionally exhausted and stunned from the past hour spent in Kirovas office, I made my way to my dorm. They hadn't touched anything in my room and it almost seemed like home. Almost. I took a two minute shower and fell into bed wearing nothing more that a sports bra and sweatpants. Tendrils of sleep were slowly wrapping themselves around my brain. Then there was a knock at the door. Company. Great. I decided that it was probably a Guardian bringing me my that I had left in the van. I opened the door. Shit. Lissa.

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><p><strong>I know, I cut you guys off with a cliffy! Out of curiosity has anyone picked up on the names I've randomly stuck in there? Well I'll give you a hint, theres only two so far. What? Another hint you say? Well okay if you say so... They're from my favorite TV show. First one to get it gets a shout-out in the story! Terrible prize I know but there you go ;) As always REVIEW!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**So I'm finally back, sorry i took forever! Here's chapter five, this one took me a while to crank out because my muse was on vacation (helpful isn't she) I'll say this once now and once later, I AM OUT OF FRESH IDEAS! Feel free to pass yours along ;) **

**Disclaimer: If you know it I don't own it!**

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><p>Her eyes lit up when she saw me and I could feel everything negative emotion leave her, if only for a moment. She threw herself at me, tears streaming down her face. I caught her in a tight hug. God I had missed her. Her fingers dug into my back and her tears soaked through my shirt in seconds. We stayed that way for a minute or two until she released me and backed away. The negative emotions came flooding back. "Liss I-" I was interrupted by a loud smack that reverberated through the near silent room. I raised my hand to my throbbing cheek as my mouth fell open. She slapped me. Quiet, sweet, well-mannered, never violent, Lissa slapped me. If it was anyone else I would have them laid out on the floor, but not Lis. Besides I knew I deserved it.<p>

Without another word she turned and walked out the door. I stood frozen for what felt like hours but was more than likely only a few minutes. Fresh guilt coursed through me. I laid down and waited for sleep to take me. It didn't I stayed that way, staring into space for hours. There was no way I was sleeping after that. The bond told me that Liss had fallen asleep hours ago. I waited till four o'clock to get up and dressed. Dimitri hadn't told me when practice would start. It didn't matter though, I was planning on being up and training before him. After I dressed in shorts and an old t-shirt I headed to the gym. Once there I located an old pair of boxing gloves that were far too used and put my earbuds in and turned on the loudest songs I could find.

I lost myself in the motions of destroying the punching bag. Before long I felt a wetness on my cheeks and a sob racked its way through my chest. The bag transformed into everything that was wrong with my life right now.

In my minds eye it transformed itself into Ivan for taking my best friend away. Then Tasha for taking away the man I loved. And finally Dimitri for breaking my heart. It was Dimitri the longest. Not only had he broken my heart but my soul as well. He had been the only one that had been able to see through my façade and break down my walls. He saw the real me. And what hurt the most was that he could do all of that and walk away. He was just like everyone else. He took one look at me, the real me, and didn't like what he saw.

The tears and sobs had escalated making it hard to do something as simple as hit the bag. But I didn't stop. Not when the treats blurred my vision. Not when the sobs made my chest ache. And suddenly I couldn't fight anymore. There wasn't any room to. I was on the floor, or more precisely someone's lap, but through the tears I couldn't see who it was. Not that I needed to the rock hard chest and deep warmth told me more than my eyes ever would.

Dimitri held me until I stopped crying. He had pulled my earbuds out of my ears at some point in time because the noise I heard was his beautiful voice in my ear murmuring soothingly in Russian. All the pain I had felt slowly dissipated to a dull ache. After a while the tears stopped and I stood.

"I apologize for my lapse in professionalism Guardian Belikov. It won't happen again." my voice was raw yet remained strong and cool, I noticed with a touch of pride that it didn't break in the slightest.

Without another word I turned and walked to the locker rooms. After splashing water on my face and tredoing my ponytail I walked back out as if the last thirty minutes had never occurred. He was sitting in the same place on the floor from when I left and had his head in his hands. I stood in front of him and waited for him to tell me to go run like I knew he would.

"Rose we need to talk."

"When are you leaving?" He finally looked up, confused.

"What?"

"When are you leaving to go with Tasha?" He went from confused to stunned in a heartbeat.

"Rose, what are you talking about?" My masked slipped for a moment and I rolled my eyes, exhausperated. I stared at him for a moment until he finally understood what I was asking. "Rose I'm not going with Tasha." Now it was my turn to be stunned.

"Oh. I just assumed..." That explained why he was still there, he wasn't choosing her over me he just didn't want me. My eyes began to prick with unshed tears and my throat started closing up.

"Rose... Let me explain. When I told you-" Panic filled me. I couldn't hear this, I couldn't hear every reason why he didn't want me. I didn't think I could survive it. So I cut him off before he could continue.

"You have nothing to explain to me Guardian Belikov. " I set my mask in place and prayed that he couldn't see every emotion behind it. Checking every clock in the wall I noticed that I had an hour before school began. Where had the time gone? Dimitri, of course, picked up on this.

"You can go." he turned briskly and walked away.

The crisp autum air played with the hair that had escaped my ponytail as I walked back to my room to change for class. I couldn't get the past hour out of my head. Gawd! How could I be so weak? I was supposed to be playing it cool and not letting the pain show and what do I do? I cry in his lap. Just as I got to the front door of my dorm a thought stopped me in my tracks. He let me. He held me the whole time. Why? It couldnt be because he cared about me, he had proven that much. So why? The single word haunted me through my morning classes and halfway through lunch. Till something, or rather someone, inturrupted them.

"Well if it isn't the infamous Rose Hathaway. We thought for sure you had gone off and become a blood whore, didn't we Ralph?" Jesse. This was JUST what I needed right now. Not. With the control I had mastered in my months of training with Dimitri, I slowly stood and turned around, facing the morons standing behind me. Before I could open my mouth to tell them to kindly go screw themselves someone else stepped in.

"Boys I don't believe Headmistress Kirova would appreciate that kind of language, perhaps I should inform her of you complete and utter lack of respect of your fellow student. Hmm?" They paled at the smooth tone in which the threat was spoken.

"NO! NO! I mean was were just fooling around we didn't mean anything by it really!" I never realized that Jesse could talk that fast. It probably had something to do with the fact that he was being stared down by a very annoyed legend of a Gaurdian.

"Yeah we were actually just leaving." Well how about that, Ralph wasn't as dumb as I had thought, which wasn't saying much. Like the spineless cowards that they we're, they hurried away with their tails between their tails between their legs. I turned and faced my defender.

"Hi, Mom."

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><p><strong>Momma Bear to the rescue! So is Janine happy, angry, indifferent? You tell me! I need some ideas! And please feel free to review and tell me how mad your are that i took so long to update (I kinda hope at least SOMEONE was angry) Till I post again, <strong>

** ~Crazydancer108**


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